Barack Obama once said; “Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.”
Ain’t that the truth? As we all are aware by now I have had numerous jobs which have left me unfulfilled and left wondering what the whole purpose of life is. As I have documented here, my decision to become a Chef and join a professional kitchen had less to do with money and a whole lot to do with defining my life for myself.
Today was my second full shift at The Club and I have to admit that beyond loving it I am ecstatic that I have found my place here.
Beyond the obvious benefits which I have outlined over the past couple of posts there are numerous culinary benefits to being at The Club. The ability to survive is much different that solely focusing your life on a buck. It is necessary to survive in order to dream. So I bear no guilt over my decision to join a stable and nurturing environment.
Oh and before I get to far… the specials that I developed did so well yesterday that they had to make some on the fly. (Note to self; always make sure that you prepare at least enough mise en place for 15 portions) In retrospect I have to admit that I think that the sun dried tomato ravioli with sun dried pesto was not an ideal pairing. A little overkill on the sun dried if you know what I mean. I think it was just the excitement of creating specials first day. I did get positive feed back from Sous Chef R and the club members seemed to enjoy it.
I was beside myself this morning. I could not sleep. I finally was able to close my eyes and get a rest at around 12:30 am. I awoke startled at 2:36 am and found myself considering whether or not to get up and work or try to get myself back to sleep. I opted for sleep as I felt that I should try to be as sharp as possible in the first few weeks. I woke up again at 4:45 am and decided to just get up and do a little research on the Internet.
I climbed into the shower at around 5:10 am and took a long soak after deciding that it was both too windy and cold for me to rollerblade. I will tomorrow though. In the shower, as for the hour before, I was extremely excited to be going to The Club. I look at it less as work or a job and much more as the daily steps toward the actualization of my dream. Did I mention in a stable and nurturing environment? (Rhetorical)
I arrived at The Club at around 6:10 and got changed right away. Played with the time clock for about ten minutes trying to figure out how the hell to punch in. There were instructions over the machine but they were about as useful as Chinese instructions from Ikea being translated by Maori Indian.
Finally, punching in, I went downstairs and started the grand circle of opening. Fryers, Salamander, Ovens, Stove, Grill, Heat Lamps, Hotline on, Cold Line filled with ice. Blanching pots on. Muffins, Sausage and Bacon in the convection. Make sure there is enough on station and then start prep for the day.
Rather than regaling you with the exciting world of prep, which to you is probably anathema, like a trip to the dentist, I will instead write of the things that were awesome.
First and foremost, I got to work on my butchery skills and broke down twenty pork tenderloins. The reason this is exciting to me is because to my view pork is easier to screw up than beef. I found myself playing with various knife positions, cuts and techniques that I have either learned directly or figured out on the fly today. All the while I was having a great conversation with Sous Chef R which was clearly designed to figure out where I was coming from and where I wanted to go to. He, like me, is a voracious reader and as such the conversation was all over the place. Segues that flowed naturally from conversations of musical likes to the Disclosure project. After breaking down the tenderloins I portioned them off and placed them in a deep half pan covering each layer with a towel. I also helped with a lot of other peoples prep today. No different than I normally would but it was clearly noticed and appreciated.
Slowly, I am beginning to remember faces and names. And there are a lot of faces and names to remember. And just like any other kitchen I have been in it is filled with characters, dreamers, misfits and people who just consider it a job. The difference in this kitchen is the way that I interrelated with them. Cautious but friendly. Calculated but calm. And by calculated I am not meaning in some neo- Machiavellian sense.
Sous Chef R asked me directly whether or not I would be interested in… get this… deep breathe… handling the patio. Cue the hairs on the back of my neck raising momentarily. My answer was the best that I could give… I am here to serve in any capacity that serves both the Club and this kitchen well. After that Sous Chef spoke to me about the virtues of the job. The only one of which I didn’t necessarily like was that it is an afternoon/evening job. That was the only drawback in that I felt it might interfere with the other things I am working on.
I argued with myself over the last paragraph for about a minute there. Unsure as to whether or not to include you in the brain farts that I am having in that regard. However, as you can see, I decided, as usual, not to censor myself and share completely.
So what are the pluses in my mind to taking the assignment?
Best ingredients available in the city. Whatever I can dream up they will bring in.
Menu freedom and control (with oversight of course)
Being outside in the summer on beautiful Lake Ontario
Direct interaction with Club Members which I excel at
So with that said; when the conversation comes up directly as to whether or not I would like to do that this summer. I am almost certain that I will say yes. Also in speaking with Sous Chef R, he made it clear that he felt it was ideal for me, as I don’t need to have my hand held or to be coddled. The conversation, to my mind, was a recognition, and not, as was the case at Reservation, that they have no one else to do the job. It is an extremely nice feeling.
From that we segued into various ingredients I might like to work with. Price/Cost structures. Member wants and needs versus realities. It was quite refreshing as I mentioned earlier.
Thus, from all this, do you get the feeling that I finally found a place that I can grow? I DO!
I am excited, thrilled, ecstatic and could use a thesaurus or that big brain of mine to give you twenty more words to describe the euphoric feeling that I have right now, but instead I will say this; I feel that I have joined a place that will allow me to grow, to be nurtured, to nurture and to fulfill greatest dream in life (next to starting a family with my loving, gorgeous, talented, funny, elegant and dreaming fiancé C, that of becoming a great chef. But first, I need to cook (and practice starting a family), A LOT!
Oscar Wilde once said; “I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label Mise en Place. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mise en Place. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Stagnation (or a note on manic thoughts that lead to elsewhere)
Stagnation.
stag·na·tion n
a condition of no movement, activity, development, or progress, or the process of becoming like this.
In the kitchen stagnation can be an attitude killer. It can be a drive killer. It can kill passion and create circumstance. In the kitchen stagnation can be something that creeps up on you like a stalker in the night and takes from you that which you hold most sacred. Stagnation can be that dream killer. Stagnation can be a vivid, horrible and transitional moment that leads to thoughts that lead away from where you are.
Stagnation in short, is where I am now. Although to my Executive and Head Chefs may not see it quite the same way I am at that moment. Where reality and dreaming come to a head. Where I need to consider what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.
You will notice I’m not saying that I am going to abandon my dreams. That I believe any less in the fact that I am going to be, that I was destined to be, that I am becoming a great Chef. It merely is an illustrative term which for me describes the fact that I have learned almost nothing in the last month.
For the first few months I was a flurried student of the subtle kitchen nuance. Everything from cutting a certain cut to sharpening my knife was new to me. And exciting. And I must admit that a brunoise or a ceramic sharpener still excites me for my Mac Knives.
I’m sure that none of you look at what I am doing as a period of stagnation but that is because you are not living my reality every day. I am hungry. I WANT TO LEARN. I am capable of learning at a level that is far different from most people. Not better. Just different. I am a voracious reader. I am a student of life. I read books like Anthony Bourdain smokes cigarettes. I can process knowledge like John F. Kennedy processed the Cuban Missile Crisis. I am capable of so much more than I am doing now and that leads me to this horrible, insatiable, empty feeling of stagnation. But for the moment I take it with a smile and the knowledge that come September it all changes for me.
I think the reason that I am expressing this is so that anyone out there who is in pursuit of his or her dreams can understand that there are going to be moments of extreme elevation. Moments where the world seems so small below you because you are advancing at an unbelievable rate. And then there are the other times. The times when the taunts and jabs from your coworkers makes you feel small. Unimportant. Worse than shit on the bottom of the shoe. As if YOU don’t matter one lick.
One thing I am coming to understand and ADMIRE is that the kitchen is its own beast. The people within it operate to the beat of their own drum. Sometimes those around you share that perversion and at others not. BUT, the most important part is to remain true to yourself.
While I may be in a period of stagnation I think that is to be expected. Here I am a 33 year old newbie reaching for the stars. I have all the ability in the world to process knowledge but am in a period, I believe, where that knowledge is being put to the test.
Take for instance the grill. Ultimately all I can learn from the grill is how to do my Mise en Place. How to organize and set up my station. How to read a board. Speed. Timing. Delivery. These are all things that I have learned and that each week I fine tune from one to the next. I can appreciate what I am doing now without complaint but it bothers me that I am out of the kitchen. Out of my home. Away from the place that I pick up all kinds of knowledge that I am not being taught but rather stealing. I use the term stealing because it is not something they want me learning yet or even considering. But I pay attention. I look around. I watch. I LEARN.
So while I know that for myself I am in a period of stagnation I too know that others have been in the same spot that I am currently. AND I ADMIRE THEM. I can name them. I can learn much from them. But for now I am relegated to the minor leagues and my own personal hell. Which ultimately will bring me back to the kitchen.
I believe the line goes; “The winter of our discontent.” Only it is summer. I long to be back in the kitchen full time. To be able to show what I have learned. To work a station. TO SHOW WHAT I CAN DO and not out of some delusion of grandeur or ego.
I will be back with another post shortly. In the meantime consider this; Da Vinci once said; “Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation ... even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.” No one could ever accuse me of inaction. At least that is something. Right?
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
What’s holding you back? GO!
A la prochaine
SDM
stag·na·tion n
a condition of no movement, activity, development, or progress, or the process of becoming like this.
In the kitchen stagnation can be an attitude killer. It can be a drive killer. It can kill passion and create circumstance. In the kitchen stagnation can be something that creeps up on you like a stalker in the night and takes from you that which you hold most sacred. Stagnation can be that dream killer. Stagnation can be a vivid, horrible and transitional moment that leads to thoughts that lead away from where you are.
Stagnation in short, is where I am now. Although to my Executive and Head Chefs may not see it quite the same way I am at that moment. Where reality and dreaming come to a head. Where I need to consider what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.
You will notice I’m not saying that I am going to abandon my dreams. That I believe any less in the fact that I am going to be, that I was destined to be, that I am becoming a great Chef. It merely is an illustrative term which for me describes the fact that I have learned almost nothing in the last month.
For the first few months I was a flurried student of the subtle kitchen nuance. Everything from cutting a certain cut to sharpening my knife was new to me. And exciting. And I must admit that a brunoise or a ceramic sharpener still excites me for my Mac Knives.
I’m sure that none of you look at what I am doing as a period of stagnation but that is because you are not living my reality every day. I am hungry. I WANT TO LEARN. I am capable of learning at a level that is far different from most people. Not better. Just different. I am a voracious reader. I am a student of life. I read books like Anthony Bourdain smokes cigarettes. I can process knowledge like John F. Kennedy processed the Cuban Missile Crisis. I am capable of so much more than I am doing now and that leads me to this horrible, insatiable, empty feeling of stagnation. But for the moment I take it with a smile and the knowledge that come September it all changes for me.
I think the reason that I am expressing this is so that anyone out there who is in pursuit of his or her dreams can understand that there are going to be moments of extreme elevation. Moments where the world seems so small below you because you are advancing at an unbelievable rate. And then there are the other times. The times when the taunts and jabs from your coworkers makes you feel small. Unimportant. Worse than shit on the bottom of the shoe. As if YOU don’t matter one lick.
One thing I am coming to understand and ADMIRE is that the kitchen is its own beast. The people within it operate to the beat of their own drum. Sometimes those around you share that perversion and at others not. BUT, the most important part is to remain true to yourself.
While I may be in a period of stagnation I think that is to be expected. Here I am a 33 year old newbie reaching for the stars. I have all the ability in the world to process knowledge but am in a period, I believe, where that knowledge is being put to the test.
Take for instance the grill. Ultimately all I can learn from the grill is how to do my Mise en Place. How to organize and set up my station. How to read a board. Speed. Timing. Delivery. These are all things that I have learned and that each week I fine tune from one to the next. I can appreciate what I am doing now without complaint but it bothers me that I am out of the kitchen. Out of my home. Away from the place that I pick up all kinds of knowledge that I am not being taught but rather stealing. I use the term stealing because it is not something they want me learning yet or even considering. But I pay attention. I look around. I watch. I LEARN.
So while I know that for myself I am in a period of stagnation I too know that others have been in the same spot that I am currently. AND I ADMIRE THEM. I can name them. I can learn much from them. But for now I am relegated to the minor leagues and my own personal hell. Which ultimately will bring me back to the kitchen.
I believe the line goes; “The winter of our discontent.” Only it is summer. I long to be back in the kitchen full time. To be able to show what I have learned. To work a station. TO SHOW WHAT I CAN DO and not out of some delusion of grandeur or ego.
I will be back with another post shortly. In the meantime consider this; Da Vinci once said; “Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation ... even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.” No one could ever accuse me of inaction. At least that is something. Right?
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
What’s holding you back? GO!
A la prochaine
SDM
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The Professional Chef final notes (file under a Must Read for anyone serious about food)
As I wrote the other day I’ve finished reading the Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. This post is going to deal with the rest of what I learned (well some of it anyway) and then I am going to write another post about the various cuts and sizes and yet another about my experiences this past week at Reservation as well as some containing more pictures of my food made with love and for love.
The Professional Chef instructs you on all the things that you need to know whether you want to be an incredible home hobby chef or as the title suggests a professional chef. It has endless recipes which are a great base from which to jump in the kitchen and create your own masterpieces. It teaches you how to buy the right equipment, use the equipment and prepare your mise en place for just about anything.
Of course reading this book has been a massive undertaking. Think of it as reading the kitchens bible and it really did put a fire in my belly to become even more than I already have. So as a final note on The Professional Chef I include the following information for your perusal.
How do you know when you’ve cooked the perfect steak? Or pork tenderloin? Or fish? Of course the obvious answer is to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. However, if you are really good and have tuned all of your senses you can tell doneness by touch, smell and sight. The following is both the temperature guidelines and the visual signal for doneness.
Fresh Beef, Lamb and Veal
Rare should be 135 degrees Fahrenheit and have a shiny interior.
Medium Rare should be 145 degree Fahrenheit and look deep red to pink.
Medium should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit and look pink to light pink.
Well Done should be 170 degrees Fahrenheit and have no pink
Fresh Pork
Medium should be 160 degree Fahrenheit should appear opaque and have juices that are faintly blushed.
Well Done should be 170 degrees Fahrenheit, when touching it there should be a slight give and the juices will run clear.
Ham
Fresh Ham should be cooked to 160 degree Fahrenheit and should have a slight give while the juices are faintly blushed.
Poultry
Whole birds should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the leg should move easily in the socket while the juices run faintly blushed.
Poultry breasts should be done to 170 degrees Fahrenheit and should appear firm and opaque.
Thighs, legs and wings should be done to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the meat should release easily from the bone.
Stuffing should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Seafood
Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and should still be moist and easy to separate.
My next post is going to be on the proper sizes of the various cuts that I’ve learned.
Karen Rivn reminds me constantly that; “Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” Are you reaching for your personal stars?
Dream inspired! Grow. Be and discover that life is not the abstract you think. It is determined purpose and the daily steps toward your own desires.
A la prochaine
SDM
The Professional Chef instructs you on all the things that you need to know whether you want to be an incredible home hobby chef or as the title suggests a professional chef. It has endless recipes which are a great base from which to jump in the kitchen and create your own masterpieces. It teaches you how to buy the right equipment, use the equipment and prepare your mise en place for just about anything.
Of course reading this book has been a massive undertaking. Think of it as reading the kitchens bible and it really did put a fire in my belly to become even more than I already have. So as a final note on The Professional Chef I include the following information for your perusal.
How do you know when you’ve cooked the perfect steak? Or pork tenderloin? Or fish? Of course the obvious answer is to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. However, if you are really good and have tuned all of your senses you can tell doneness by touch, smell and sight. The following is both the temperature guidelines and the visual signal for doneness.
Fresh Beef, Lamb and Veal
Rare should be 135 degrees Fahrenheit and have a shiny interior.
Medium Rare should be 145 degree Fahrenheit and look deep red to pink.
Medium should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit and look pink to light pink.
Well Done should be 170 degrees Fahrenheit and have no pink
Fresh Pork
Medium should be 160 degree Fahrenheit should appear opaque and have juices that are faintly blushed.
Well Done should be 170 degrees Fahrenheit, when touching it there should be a slight give and the juices will run clear.
Ham
Fresh Ham should be cooked to 160 degree Fahrenheit and should have a slight give while the juices are faintly blushed.
Poultry
Whole birds should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the leg should move easily in the socket while the juices run faintly blushed.
Poultry breasts should be done to 170 degrees Fahrenheit and should appear firm and opaque.
Thighs, legs and wings should be done to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and the meat should release easily from the bone.
Stuffing should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Seafood
Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and should still be moist and easy to separate.
My next post is going to be on the proper sizes of the various cuts that I’ve learned.
Karen Rivn reminds me constantly that; “Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” Are you reaching for your personal stars?
Dream inspired! Grow. Be and discover that life is not the abstract you think. It is determined purpose and the daily steps toward your own desires.
A la prochaine
SDM
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Weekly Review (file under WOW moments)
This past week was filled with the ups and downs that you would expect when one jumps head first into his dream. What follows are some of the many things that I learned this week. Not only that but I learned the value of days off. I went to bed last night around 6:30 pm and slept until ten am. I fell asleep with my clothes on.
When making my berry compote I learned that the term to “hull” a berry means to remove the green and the white area as well. It means to remove from the fruit those parts that you deem unusable.
I also learned that the Gotham Street Bar & Grill is amazing and that Alfred Portale is truly gifted. According to Exec Chef this is one of the few cookbooks out there that represents the plate they serve at the restaurant for the home in an exact way. Reading through the various techniques and skills that are required for Portale’s dishes brings a huge smile to my face. The look of each plate (though beautiful) takes more function over form. In that I mean that the food is the real star. After all you cannot eat with your eyes… YET!
Portale also taught me that I should get good at making timing lists. This will make your Mise en Place better and allow you to function with a better grasp of time in the kitchen. Portale also breaks down the various ingredients that you should use, from where and what the best is. Naturally each Chef will have their own interpretation as to what is best, but he is pretty spot on in my opinion.
On the recommendation of Head Chef I also bought (pricey but necessary. I had to think about feeding myself versus the book and decided that the book would lead to more food so I bought the book) it is called “The Professional Chef” by the Culinary Institute of America. It is amazing and a must read for anyone that wants to work in a professional kitchen. I’ve spent most of the past two days (when not catching up on sleep or writing an essay) studying this book and I’m glad I bought it.
I also learned a bit about the front of house operations (keep in mind that I am immersing myself in the whole gamut of restaurant operations as the end goal is to have at least two myself).
Maitre d’Hotel is the dining room manager. They are in charge of training, overseeing wine selection, working with the chef to determine what goes on the menu and organizes the seatings on the floor.
You then have the Chef de Vin, Sommelier or Wine Steward. Their responsibility is wine service including purchasing, wine list and assisting guests with their wine selections.
Chef de Salle or Head Waiter. Naturally responsible for all the waiters.
Chef d’Etage (Captain) deals with the guests once seated. Explains the menu and answers any questions as well as taking orders.
Chef de Rang (Front Waiter) ensures proper settings for each course.
Demi, Chef de Rang or Commis De Rang is responsible for running, bussing, etc!
As I have started my journey I have discovered much about myself. The Professional Chef has a line in it that states; “ Deciding where to begin your journey s just as important as the process of learning.” I made a great decision, I am living my dream and am happier than I’ve ever been in my life.
I hope that all of you can dream big, can live your dreams,, and can know true joy. So tonight as you ready to go to bed, ask yourself; What do I want from MY life? Where do I want to be? How do I get there? The universe will answer all questions you have if only you have the balls to ask them. I did and now answers unfurl each day majestically before me, lighting my path and guiding my soul.
Be inspired. Live. Laugh. Love and Be YOU!
Woodrow Wilson once said; “We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true. “
Look for sunshine to guide your way…
A la prochaine
SDM
When making my berry compote I learned that the term to “hull” a berry means to remove the green and the white area as well. It means to remove from the fruit those parts that you deem unusable.
I also learned that the Gotham Street Bar & Grill is amazing and that Alfred Portale is truly gifted. According to Exec Chef this is one of the few cookbooks out there that represents the plate they serve at the restaurant for the home in an exact way. Reading through the various techniques and skills that are required for Portale’s dishes brings a huge smile to my face. The look of each plate (though beautiful) takes more function over form. In that I mean that the food is the real star. After all you cannot eat with your eyes… YET!
Portale also taught me that I should get good at making timing lists. This will make your Mise en Place better and allow you to function with a better grasp of time in the kitchen. Portale also breaks down the various ingredients that you should use, from where and what the best is. Naturally each Chef will have their own interpretation as to what is best, but he is pretty spot on in my opinion.
On the recommendation of Head Chef I also bought (pricey but necessary. I had to think about feeding myself versus the book and decided that the book would lead to more food so I bought the book) it is called “The Professional Chef” by the Culinary Institute of America. It is amazing and a must read for anyone that wants to work in a professional kitchen. I’ve spent most of the past two days (when not catching up on sleep or writing an essay) studying this book and I’m glad I bought it.
I also learned a bit about the front of house operations (keep in mind that I am immersing myself in the whole gamut of restaurant operations as the end goal is to have at least two myself).
Maitre d’Hotel is the dining room manager. They are in charge of training, overseeing wine selection, working with the chef to determine what goes on the menu and organizes the seatings on the floor.
You then have the Chef de Vin, Sommelier or Wine Steward. Their responsibility is wine service including purchasing, wine list and assisting guests with their wine selections.
Chef de Salle or Head Waiter. Naturally responsible for all the waiters.
Chef d’Etage (Captain) deals with the guests once seated. Explains the menu and answers any questions as well as taking orders.
Chef de Rang (Front Waiter) ensures proper settings for each course.
Demi, Chef de Rang or Commis De Rang is responsible for running, bussing, etc!
As I have started my journey I have discovered much about myself. The Professional Chef has a line in it that states; “ Deciding where to begin your journey s just as important as the process of learning.” I made a great decision, I am living my dream and am happier than I’ve ever been in my life.
I hope that all of you can dream big, can live your dreams,, and can know true joy. So tonight as you ready to go to bed, ask yourself; What do I want from MY life? Where do I want to be? How do I get there? The universe will answer all questions you have if only you have the balls to ask them. I did and now answers unfurl each day majestically before me, lighting my path and guiding my soul.
Be inspired. Live. Laugh. Love and Be YOU!
Woodrow Wilson once said; “We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true. “
Look for sunshine to guide your way…
A la prochaine
SDM
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Take Two of a Cooks’ Snow Day
It has been at least a decade since Toronto has seen snow like it has been getting lately. Last night the North Pole visited our fine city again and dropped at least seven or eight inches making getting to work a very ‘fun’ (read pain in the ass) experience. Usually getting to work by the Streetcar should take about an hour. If I am fortunate enough to be driving (today I had no choice) it should take about twenty minutes. Well I guess the memo to Toronto drivers (read invading 905ers’ and beyond) didn’t get out. I was to punch in at 10 (though start at 9 as part of my learning experience which I’ve explained earlier.) as such I left my house at 8:10 thinking I would have more than enough time to get there for 9. Wishful thinking I assure you. It was my worst Sunday nightmare come true on a Wednesday. I got there as fast as I could. 9:21. Don’t get me wrong. I love the snow and I love Toronto. But I don’t love the invading hordes more marauding than Ghengis Khan and Hannibal combined. And yet I smiled. Which shocked everyone that saw my face driving and singing to Lauryn Hill.
Of course when I got there there was no parking and I read this as an indication of the day to come. Finally after moving my car a second time and paying another four bucks Chef told me that I could park in the Green P on the premises for a $10 max for fourteen hours. Done and done. But it did let me sneak in a smoke (only three today).
How did my day start? Bueller, Bueller! Naturally with draining and straining the stock, putting it into 16 litre pails, covering, label and organizing and then putting in the fridge. The other day I had let the pails sit out for a few minutes and Head Chef ran (not really running as it is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN in the kitchen) by and explained to me why we put it away right away. BACTERIA growth and our success to keep bacteria at bay. Easy enough lesson to learn and one that only needs to be explained once. This applies to all food. Not just stock. Don’t ever leave anything out AND definitely make sure that you mark what it is, what the date was and then put it away.
Today was the first day I didn’t really ask anyone what to do. Common sense, which is by no means common, dictated that I start getting the Mise ready for everyone on the line. As such I roasted an entire bus pan of beets. Peeled the carrots. Cut potatoes in three different ways with three different varieties. Naturally there was the Yukon Gold for the hand cut (my hand) French fries, Russets for gauffrettes and Fingerlings for rounds. Two of those starches are used by the Saucier and J who is the Entremetier uses the other.
This is a good time to explain the stations of a professional kitchen. Essentially you have the Executive Chef, then the Head Chef. These two positions are pretty self-explanatory. Then you have the Saucier (A in our kitchen). The Saucier in our kitchen is responsible for prepping all the meats, trimming, carving and creating the proper portion sizes. He is also responsible for preparing the sauces, grilling the meats and final plating along with Head Chef. In the absence of Head Chef and Exec it is he who runs the line. A is in his middle twenties and at the top of his game. He is about to go on another stage (10 days or so from now, maybe even less) at a fabulous restaurant in Oxford, England. After him you have the Poissonier (D in our kitchen). It is his job as the name suggests to butcher the fish, prepare it and then serve it. After him you have J who is the Entremetier who is responsible for all hot apps, soups, vegetables and starches. Finally in our kitchen you have S (a woman from Korea) who is the Garde Manger, it is her duty to prepare all the salads, cold apps and deserts. This team is amazing and very good at what they do. It is quite a spectacle to behold. And if you have the option to see a professional brigade at work you should. They are lighting fast and laser accurate. Think of SEALS, RANGERS, MOSSAD, GHURKAS or any other special force in the world.
I then had to vacuum pack various items including duck that our Saucier had just prepared and package it in units of ten. The Poissonier finished portioning some fish (Mon Fish, Salmon, Grouper) along with the help of SH who is one of the cooks at our sister restaurant. I had to pack away 3 different type of fish. I then vac packed the jus that I had completed last week and put it away for safe keeping in the walk in freezer. I learned another lesson on that note tonight. Do not lose any of the jus.
It literally is a sheeny black gold. I lost about a litre tonight as the vac pack seal did not hold. It put me in a pretty low mood for a bit as I know how valuable it is to Chef and in hard currency. I did apologize profusely. The problem was that I didn’t remove the spacer boards and as such the jus flowed over and spilled covering a good sixth of an inch of the vac pack machine. Good times, really! I told Head Chef that I owe him a few beers when the opportunity next avails itself.
I was scheduled to work until 8 tonight and as I mentioned earlier I got my snow day. I punched out at 7:48. AND I forgot to sign the sign out sheet. I was just excited to get home and write about my day I suppose. I realized it after I was about five minutes away. No big loss.
Exec Chef loaned me another of his books for my day off tomorrow. It is In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal. Though he did tell me to just look at it and not get to deeply into it. This plays on a component of our conversation last night in which he cautioned me from only devoting myself to this. A wise man; Exec Chef said that I need to devote time to my other passions (here is one obviously) but he made it clear that it had to be separate from the kitchen and with as much enthusiasm. He explained that eventually I will have to put the other on the back burner but for now it is important so that my head stays in the game. I understood what he was saying on numerous levels.
Another one of the fantastic benefits of chasing my dream is that it has caused me to start looking at myself, inwardly and those around me. It has helped me to start questioning certain things and to start writing again. A passionate soulful writing that is directly related to me as opposed to the world around me. It feels wonderful and it is a great legacy to hand to my children so they can see how I became the man I became.
None of this would have been possible without my family. Directly the love of my life C who has been an unconditional supporter of mine (which at times has been beyond hard she must be an angel, certainly mine). A constant source of inspiration and a graceful source of sage like wisdom. Her family, my family and my closest friends and you know who you are (who are part of my family of course). I thank you all for your guidance, your support, your love, your criticism but most of all your continued faith in me. I will show you all that you were right in more ways than one. I love you all! I value you and hope that some day I can repay your unfettered kindness.
J.R.R. Tolkien once said; “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Which brings me to another point. As I studied Political Science and History while at University I’ve often wondered how much depends on the meals they (you know the marble halls and mahogany desk types) eat. I heard someone else say that the other day and I laughed as I thought I was the only one to think about that. I mean really, if Khrushchev and Kennedy had eaten a horrible meal in Vienna would I be writing this at this very moment? Would mushroom clouds have filled the sky because the Carbonara or Thermador was cooked incorrectly? Or if Kissinger had sat down a little earlier over some great French meal with the Vietnamese would less Americans have died? Pardon the pun but it truly is food for thought!
I hope you had a day filled with wonder and delight and make tomorrow an inspired day in your own personal pursuit of excellence.
Bonne Journee et a la Prochaine!
SDM
Of course when I got there there was no parking and I read this as an indication of the day to come. Finally after moving my car a second time and paying another four bucks Chef told me that I could park in the Green P on the premises for a $10 max for fourteen hours. Done and done. But it did let me sneak in a smoke (only three today).
How did my day start? Bueller, Bueller! Naturally with draining and straining the stock, putting it into 16 litre pails, covering, label and organizing and then putting in the fridge. The other day I had let the pails sit out for a few minutes and Head Chef ran (not really running as it is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN in the kitchen) by and explained to me why we put it away right away. BACTERIA growth and our success to keep bacteria at bay. Easy enough lesson to learn and one that only needs to be explained once. This applies to all food. Not just stock. Don’t ever leave anything out AND definitely make sure that you mark what it is, what the date was and then put it away.
Today was the first day I didn’t really ask anyone what to do. Common sense, which is by no means common, dictated that I start getting the Mise ready for everyone on the line. As such I roasted an entire bus pan of beets. Peeled the carrots. Cut potatoes in three different ways with three different varieties. Naturally there was the Yukon Gold for the hand cut (my hand) French fries, Russets for gauffrettes and Fingerlings for rounds. Two of those starches are used by the Saucier and J who is the Entremetier uses the other.
This is a good time to explain the stations of a professional kitchen. Essentially you have the Executive Chef, then the Head Chef. These two positions are pretty self-explanatory. Then you have the Saucier (A in our kitchen). The Saucier in our kitchen is responsible for prepping all the meats, trimming, carving and creating the proper portion sizes. He is also responsible for preparing the sauces, grilling the meats and final plating along with Head Chef. In the absence of Head Chef and Exec it is he who runs the line. A is in his middle twenties and at the top of his game. He is about to go on another stage (10 days or so from now, maybe even less) at a fabulous restaurant in Oxford, England. After him you have the Poissonier (D in our kitchen). It is his job as the name suggests to butcher the fish, prepare it and then serve it. After him you have J who is the Entremetier who is responsible for all hot apps, soups, vegetables and starches. Finally in our kitchen you have S (a woman from Korea) who is the Garde Manger, it is her duty to prepare all the salads, cold apps and deserts. This team is amazing and very good at what they do. It is quite a spectacle to behold. And if you have the option to see a professional brigade at work you should. They are lighting fast and laser accurate. Think of SEALS, RANGERS, MOSSAD, GHURKAS or any other special force in the world.
I then had to vacuum pack various items including duck that our Saucier had just prepared and package it in units of ten. The Poissonier finished portioning some fish (Mon Fish, Salmon, Grouper) along with the help of SH who is one of the cooks at our sister restaurant. I had to pack away 3 different type of fish. I then vac packed the jus that I had completed last week and put it away for safe keeping in the walk in freezer. I learned another lesson on that note tonight. Do not lose any of the jus.
It literally is a sheeny black gold. I lost about a litre tonight as the vac pack seal did not hold. It put me in a pretty low mood for a bit as I know how valuable it is to Chef and in hard currency. I did apologize profusely. The problem was that I didn’t remove the spacer boards and as such the jus flowed over and spilled covering a good sixth of an inch of the vac pack machine. Good times, really! I told Head Chef that I owe him a few beers when the opportunity next avails itself.
I was scheduled to work until 8 tonight and as I mentioned earlier I got my snow day. I punched out at 7:48. AND I forgot to sign the sign out sheet. I was just excited to get home and write about my day I suppose. I realized it after I was about five minutes away. No big loss.
Exec Chef loaned me another of his books for my day off tomorrow. It is In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal. Though he did tell me to just look at it and not get to deeply into it. This plays on a component of our conversation last night in which he cautioned me from only devoting myself to this. A wise man; Exec Chef said that I need to devote time to my other passions (here is one obviously) but he made it clear that it had to be separate from the kitchen and with as much enthusiasm. He explained that eventually I will have to put the other on the back burner but for now it is important so that my head stays in the game. I understood what he was saying on numerous levels.
Another one of the fantastic benefits of chasing my dream is that it has caused me to start looking at myself, inwardly and those around me. It has helped me to start questioning certain things and to start writing again. A passionate soulful writing that is directly related to me as opposed to the world around me. It feels wonderful and it is a great legacy to hand to my children so they can see how I became the man I became.
None of this would have been possible without my family. Directly the love of my life C who has been an unconditional supporter of mine (which at times has been beyond hard she must be an angel, certainly mine). A constant source of inspiration and a graceful source of sage like wisdom. Her family, my family and my closest friends and you know who you are (who are part of my family of course). I thank you all for your guidance, your support, your love, your criticism but most of all your continued faith in me. I will show you all that you were right in more ways than one. I love you all! I value you and hope that some day I can repay your unfettered kindness.
J.R.R. Tolkien once said; “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Which brings me to another point. As I studied Political Science and History while at University I’ve often wondered how much depends on the meals they (you know the marble halls and mahogany desk types) eat. I heard someone else say that the other day and I laughed as I thought I was the only one to think about that. I mean really, if Khrushchev and Kennedy had eaten a horrible meal in Vienna would I be writing this at this very moment? Would mushroom clouds have filled the sky because the Carbonara or Thermador was cooked incorrectly? Or if Kissinger had sat down a little earlier over some great French meal with the Vietnamese would less Americans have died? Pardon the pun but it truly is food for thought!
I hope you had a day filled with wonder and delight and make tomorrow an inspired day in your own personal pursuit of excellence.
Bonne Journee et a la Prochaine!
SDM
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Executive Chef
I arrived today bright eyed and bushy tailed at 8:45 am. When I walked in there was no one there and there were only two notes directing me what to do. As such when orders came in, I checked the orders and signed the invoices. Before doing that I started roasting the bones for the stock, as that is the first thing that I am supposed to do each day. I proceeded to pull the other stocks out of “the grocery store” as well as the remi and started to combine the two in order to make the jus.
Order after order came in and I had to make sure that I checked and double-checked each order. Vegetables. Proteins and more. All of it came through the door in the fist hour or so that I was there. Then I started to prepare the Mise for the line. Cutting tomatoes, potatoes, nicoise olives, romaine lettuce, etc.
Have you ever peeled a baby carrot? Making sure to only take off enough that it still maintains its natural shape? Of course it sounds easy but it is not. That is until you peel a few hundred of them, then you experientially. It then becomes obvious to you what you need to do and how you need to do it.
I was going to quit smoking today and had gone about sixteen hours before I got screamed at. Don’t worry it wasn’t anything I did. This particular persons dog had died and being the FNG (fucking new guy) it was safe for him to haul off on me. I did take it in stride but I needed a cigarette afterward. Don’t worry I only had a couple and am still dedicated to quitting.
On a few occasions I got to ask Exec Chef a series of questions today. I asked about Stages (going out to learn more), how to build a menu, gastriques, etc. I also asked if he could recommend some restaurants in NYC as my baby is there and there is someone that will take her out. He concluded the same as I; “First stop Daniels!” I agree!
One note about stages. The Saucier told me in a lengthy conversation today that stages officially end somewhere around thirty. This put me in a bit of a blue funk but then after speaking to Exec Chef he told me that yes that was true officially but that a year from now he would be happy to pick up the phone for me and open the door. He also told me that I had to start saving, set up an account so that I could cover the stage myself although he would be able to arrange room and board. I already know where I want to do my first two stages. I didn’t tell him as I felt that it was both inappropriate and unnecessary. He reassured me that when the time came he would be there for me.
That of course made me feel even better. It reassured me that I had chosen the right kitchen (though I knew I already did) and the more than perfect teacher. It is a mutual investment we are making in each other. And I plan to pay it back in spades and a little bit of sweat labour.
I also asked if he would loan me a book which would give me some insight into what it is that he does at Reservation. He was only too happy to oblige and gave me the only copy of Girardet in the country. He also again reassured me that I was doing fantastic and that I will do very well in the industry as long as I keep my good temper, ability to learn and do it quick. It was very nice to have this assurance.
He then released me early (though it was 8 pm and I clocked out a 5) as he did not feel it was right for me to do menial tasks as on my time I should be learning things. I told him that I did not look at it as menial but instead as part of the process. I finished what I had to and then left so I could come home and study with Girardet and Larousse Gastronomique and of course write to you.
That said. I have learned in my first week so much. And I have become comfortable in my own skin. For those of you waiting for that to happen. IT FINALLY HAS! And I have turned not only a new page, but developed a whole new book. Thank you for your support and you know who you are.
It is written in the Proverbs in the Old Testament; “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” And I couldn’t agree more.
Please have an inspired day, live, love and laugh as life is far to short for petty differences. Try to put one behind you today.
SDM
Order after order came in and I had to make sure that I checked and double-checked each order. Vegetables. Proteins and more. All of it came through the door in the fist hour or so that I was there. Then I started to prepare the Mise for the line. Cutting tomatoes, potatoes, nicoise olives, romaine lettuce, etc.
Have you ever peeled a baby carrot? Making sure to only take off enough that it still maintains its natural shape? Of course it sounds easy but it is not. That is until you peel a few hundred of them, then you experientially. It then becomes obvious to you what you need to do and how you need to do it.
I was going to quit smoking today and had gone about sixteen hours before I got screamed at. Don’t worry it wasn’t anything I did. This particular persons dog had died and being the FNG (fucking new guy) it was safe for him to haul off on me. I did take it in stride but I needed a cigarette afterward. Don’t worry I only had a couple and am still dedicated to quitting.
On a few occasions I got to ask Exec Chef a series of questions today. I asked about Stages (going out to learn more), how to build a menu, gastriques, etc. I also asked if he could recommend some restaurants in NYC as my baby is there and there is someone that will take her out. He concluded the same as I; “First stop Daniels!” I agree!
One note about stages. The Saucier told me in a lengthy conversation today that stages officially end somewhere around thirty. This put me in a bit of a blue funk but then after speaking to Exec Chef he told me that yes that was true officially but that a year from now he would be happy to pick up the phone for me and open the door. He also told me that I had to start saving, set up an account so that I could cover the stage myself although he would be able to arrange room and board. I already know where I want to do my first two stages. I didn’t tell him as I felt that it was both inappropriate and unnecessary. He reassured me that when the time came he would be there for me.
That of course made me feel even better. It reassured me that I had chosen the right kitchen (though I knew I already did) and the more than perfect teacher. It is a mutual investment we are making in each other. And I plan to pay it back in spades and a little bit of sweat labour.
I also asked if he would loan me a book which would give me some insight into what it is that he does at Reservation. He was only too happy to oblige and gave me the only copy of Girardet in the country. He also again reassured me that I was doing fantastic and that I will do very well in the industry as long as I keep my good temper, ability to learn and do it quick. It was very nice to have this assurance.
He then released me early (though it was 8 pm and I clocked out a 5) as he did not feel it was right for me to do menial tasks as on my time I should be learning things. I told him that I did not look at it as menial but instead as part of the process. I finished what I had to and then left so I could come home and study with Girardet and Larousse Gastronomique and of course write to you.
That said. I have learned in my first week so much. And I have become comfortable in my own skin. For those of you waiting for that to happen. IT FINALLY HAS! And I have turned not only a new page, but developed a whole new book. Thank you for your support and you know who you are.
It is written in the Proverbs in the Old Testament; “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” And I couldn’t agree more.
Please have an inspired day, live, love and laugh as life is far to short for petty differences. Try to put one behind you today.
SDM
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